Pianissimo device for grand-piano actions.



A. T. STRAUCH.

mmssamo DEVICE FOR GRAND mm) ACTIONS.

APPLICAHON FILED MAY26 1915- 1,157,262. Patented Oct. 19, 1915. 2 SHEETSSHEET1 ORNEY ilm W xf/fiawwj) wkwwmmmm A. T. STRAUCH.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR GRAND PIANO ACTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY26.1915.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY/J:

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

ALBERT T. STRAUCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE FOR GRAND-PIANO ACTIONS.

as well as by mechanical means. The construction is such that upon the depression of the soft pedal, either during manual or mechanical playing, lost motion is prevented and a substantially uniform touch is maintained.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side View, partly in section, of a grand.

piano action embodying my invention, showing the normal position of the parts; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts with the soft pedal depressed, and Fig. 3 a plan of part of the action.

The capstan 1 of the manually actuated key 2, operably engages an upper oscillative member of lever 3, in suitable manner, the drawing showing oscillative member 3 to be provided with a rocker 1, that is adapted to rest upon the capstan. Oscillative member 3 is attached to and forms part of the action, it being pivoted at its front end to a flange 5 of a rail 6 of the action frame, while it extends with its rear end a distance beyond key 2, and is here furnished with a button 7, which is engaged by the sticker 8 of a pneumatic or other self playing mechanism.

From oscillative member 3 there projects upwardly a flange 9 to which is pivoted at 10 a forwardly extending lost-motion lever 11, which has an inclined rear section and a substantially horizontal front section or foot that joins the rear section at an obtuse angle, and is adapted to be supported directly on oscillative member 3, above capstan 1. Upon the foot rests the knuckle 12 of a conventional grand action support 13 which is pivoted at its rear end to a flange 141 of action rail 15. Support 13 carries a repetition lever 16, and a jack 17 adapted to en gage hammer shank 18, as usual.

The hammer shank is adapted to be supported by the hammer rest rail 19, which by arms 20 is pivotally connected to flanges 21 of the action bracket 22. From rail 19 extends rearwardly a finger 23 which is ac- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 1915.

tuated by the lifter 24:, of the soft pedal (not shown). Arms 20 have longitudinal slots 25 adjustably engaged by clamp screws 26 of forked members 27 to which are pivoted at 28 hangers 29. The lower ends of these hangers engage apertured blocks 30 which are clamped to the hangers by screws 31. Blocks 30, are pivoted to J. pair of arms 3:2 which are hung at their rear ends in the action bracket as at 33, while they carry at their front ends, a lost motion rod 34. This rod extends transversely over the oscillative members 3 and is looateda distance above the same and in front of the lost motion levers 11. From the free end of each lever 11 projects forwardly, an upwardly inclined finger or extension 35, carrying a pad 36 which is adapted to be engaged by rod 34.

The operation is as follows: IVhen the instrument is played by hand under normal conditions, the movement imparted to key 2, will be transmitted'by capstan 1 to oscillative member 3, and thence directly to foot of lever 11, which by support 13, actuates the conventional parts of the action. When the instrument is played by mechani cal means, likewise under normal conditions, the sticker 8 will operate oscillative member 3, so as to again actuate through foot of lever 11 and support 13 the conventional parts of the action (Fig. 1). hen the soft pedal is depressed to raise rail 19, the resulting upward swing of arms 20, will by hangers 29 and arms 32 cause lost motion rod 3% to be raised, so as to tilt lost motion lever 11 upward by finger 35, and thus open up a gap between the foot of said lever and the oscillative member 3 (Fig. 2). If now the instrument is played either by hand or mechanically, motion will be transmitted from oscillative member 3, through flange 9, and pivot 10, to the lever 11, and thence to the support 13, the transmission of motion. no longer taking place directly from said oscillative member to the foot of the lever as heretofore. In this way lost motion is prevented, and the normal touch is substantially maintained.

Owing to the adjustment between arms 20 and hangers 29, the degree to which rod 34: may be raised by the depression of the soft pedal is accurately regulaiole.

I claim:

1. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a lost motion lever carried by the oscillative member, a support engaging said lever, a hammer rest rail, and means operable by said rail for tilting the lost motion lever.

2. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a mechanically-actuated sticker engaging the oscillative member, a lost motion lever carried by the oscillative member, a support engaging said lever, a hammer rest rail, and means operable by said rail for tilting the lost motion lever.

3. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member, pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a flange on the oscillative member, a lost motion lever pivoted to said flange and having a foot adapted to rest on the oscillative member, a support engaging said lever, a hammer rest rail, and means operable by said rail for tilting said lever.

4. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a lost motion lever carried by said oscillative member, a support engaging the lever, a pair of pivoted arms, a hammer rest rail carried by said arms, hangers depending from the arms, a lost motion rod operably connected to the hangers, and means on the lever for engaging said rod.

5. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a lost motion lever carried by said oscillative member, a

.sn 3 ort en a in the lever a air of ivoted C C b 7 arms, a hammer rest rail carried by said arms, hangers depending from the arms, a

lost motion rod operably connected to the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

hangers, and a finger extending forwardly from the lever and engaging the rod.

6. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a flange on the oscillative member, a lost motion lever pivoted to said flange and composed of an inclined section and a foot that is adapted to be supported on the oscillative member, a support engaging said foot, a hammer rest rail, and means operable by said rail for tilting the lost motion lever and thereby raising its foot off the oscillative member.

7. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a flange on the oscillative member, a lost motion lever pivoted to said flange and having a foot adapted to engage the oscillative member, a first pair of pivoted arms, a hammer rest rail carried by said arms, hangers depending from the arms, a second pair of pivoted arms engaged by the hangers, a lost motion rod carried by said second pair of arms, and

means on the lever for engaging the rod.

8. In a grand piano action, a frame, a key, an oscillative member pivoted to the frame and operable by the key, a flange on the oscillative member, a lost motion lever piy oted. to said flange and having a foot adapted to engage the oscillative member, a first pair of pivoted arms, a hammer rest rail carried by said arms, a pair of hangers, means for adjustably securing said hangers to said arms, a second pair of pivoted arms engaged by the hangers, a lost motion rod carried by said second pair of arms, and a finger extending forwardly from the lever and engaging the rod.

ALBERT T. STRAUCH.

Commissioner of Patents. 

